Geert Mul - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Geert Mul
No tree is solitary in Kumano, 2024
**Abstract:** The solitary tree in an open landscape often evokes a deep psychological connectio... more **Abstract:**
The solitary tree in an open landscape often evokes a deep psychological connection, reflecting the viewer’s state of mind. My recent work has focused on this motif, where the tree becomes a mirror of human experience, symbolizing ‘la condition humaine.’ Traditionally, Western art uses landscapes to underscore humanity's insignificance before nature, yet these depictions also reveal much about our relationship with the natural world.
While working in Tanabe, Wakayama, Japan, I’ve been inspired by the life of Kumagusu Minakata (1867-1941), a polymath who integrated spirituality, nature philosophy, and science. My current research explores the intersection of nature and culture, mediated by technology, and involves photographing ancient, solitary trees to create monumental artworks.
However, the history of Wakayama, particularly the early 20th-century reforestation, has altered the landscape. Ancient trees, now rare, are found mainly within Shinto shrines, where they are revered as spiritual symbols. This context challenges the romantic notion of the solitary tree. In Wakayama, these trees are not isolated but are central to spiritual and communal life, deeply rooted in a broader social and sacred network. Here, ‘la condition humaine’ is less about isolation and more about interconnectedness with nature and community.
The award-winning media artist Geert Mul (the Netherlands, 1965) has been making computer-based a... more The award-winning media artist Geert Mul (the Netherlands, 1965) has been making computer-based artworks for over twenty-five years. A large portion of his oeuvre, and his more recent work in particular, relies heavily on existing images, often sourced online. With the help of image analysis software, Mul reworks the pictures into new combinations, attracted by the unexpected results that algorithmic operations produce, and the revelatory potential they hold. The artist refers to this work as 'data-based art' -a term revealing not only of his own process as a maker, but also of his take on how people today engage with the world around them and make sense of it. At the conclusion of a large-scale retrospective of his work, Eef Masson spoke with him about some of the key ingredients of his visual practice and the inextricable relations between them: information, databases and collections; randomness and rules; and crucially, makers and audiences or users. In the course of the conversation, Mul also reflected on how his work ties in with much older traditions of play, in artistic practice, with data and the rules for their recombination.
No tree is solitary in Kumano, 2024
**Abstract:** The solitary tree in an open landscape often evokes a deep psychological connectio... more **Abstract:**
The solitary tree in an open landscape often evokes a deep psychological connection, reflecting the viewer’s state of mind. My recent work has focused on this motif, where the tree becomes a mirror of human experience, symbolizing ‘la condition humaine.’ Traditionally, Western art uses landscapes to underscore humanity's insignificance before nature, yet these depictions also reveal much about our relationship with the natural world.
While working in Tanabe, Wakayama, Japan, I’ve been inspired by the life of Kumagusu Minakata (1867-1941), a polymath who integrated spirituality, nature philosophy, and science. My current research explores the intersection of nature and culture, mediated by technology, and involves photographing ancient, solitary trees to create monumental artworks.
However, the history of Wakayama, particularly the early 20th-century reforestation, has altered the landscape. Ancient trees, now rare, are found mainly within Shinto shrines, where they are revered as spiritual symbols. This context challenges the romantic notion of the solitary tree. In Wakayama, these trees are not isolated but are central to spiritual and communal life, deeply rooted in a broader social and sacred network. Here, ‘la condition humaine’ is less about isolation and more about interconnectedness with nature and community.
The award-winning media artist Geert Mul (the Netherlands, 1965) has been making computer-based a... more The award-winning media artist Geert Mul (the Netherlands, 1965) has been making computer-based artworks for over twenty-five years. A large portion of his oeuvre, and his more recent work in particular, relies heavily on existing images, often sourced online. With the help of image analysis software, Mul reworks the pictures into new combinations, attracted by the unexpected results that algorithmic operations produce, and the revelatory potential they hold. The artist refers to this work as 'data-based art' -a term revealing not only of his own process as a maker, but also of his take on how people today engage with the world around them and make sense of it. At the conclusion of a large-scale retrospective of his work, Eef Masson spoke with him about some of the key ingredients of his visual practice and the inextricable relations between them: information, databases and collections; randomness and rules; and crucially, makers and audiences or users. In the course of the conversation, Mul also reflected on how his work ties in with much older traditions of play, in artistic practice, with data and the rules for their recombination.